Only ten percent of the actual number of wildlife trafficking cases were detected over the past few years as smugglers are becoming more cunning in their activities, according to the Vietnamese environmental police.

According to a report released by the central Environmental Police Department last week, up to 90 percent of trafficking cases have not been detected, due to limited equipment and craftier schemes of smugglers.

The central Environmental Police Department said smugglers have become more cunning in their activities, like hiding elephant tusks and frozen pangolins in sacks containing dry seaweed, to avoid detection.

According to the report, around 200 species of animals are being smuggled in Vietnam, including 80 endangered species.

Between 4,000 and 4,500 tons of wildlife are transited in Vietnam each year and are mainly smuggled into China, according to the police.

Police also warned against increasing cases of tiger bone being smuggled from Laos, Cambodia and Thailand into Vietnam in the past several years.

Illegal wildlife trafficking worldwide generates between US$5 billion and $20 billion a year, only second to the illegal drug trade.